Hail to the King
by PierceTheVeils
Summary: Bow to the king, or risk the wrath of godly proportions. Done for the 100 Prompts/Drabbles Challenge on PJFC.
1. Pride

**Challenge: 100 Prompts/Drabbles**

**Character: Zeus**

**Word Count (for story only): 202 words**

**First Prompt : Pride**

They say

A King

Should be a humble man.

...

Calm, Wise, Kind.

Proud of his kingdom,

Proud of his subjects,

Proud of his queen,

But never proud of himself.

...

Zeus disagreed.

How could one rule without confidence?

How could a king

Stand out from the masses

Bring order to the chaos

Make the decisions important to everyone

If he didn't have his pride?

...

Some argued

That pride

would be his downfall

That he made decisions

Without approval.

Did rash things.

Saw no wrong in himself.

...

At this, he shook his head.

Such ignorance deserved no reply

Did they, perhaps

Know a better way?

Had they, perhaps

Been godly ruler since ancient times?

Could they, themselves

Survive a changing world?

...

Zeus did not think so.

He knew

His place.

...

Yes, the god was proud.

Proud of many things

Proud of his kingdom,

Proud of much his family,

Proud of all his children,

Proud of how far the world has come,

Proud of his loyal wife,

Most of all,

Proud of himself.

...

He was king.

Lord of the Sky

Wielder of the Master Bolt

Father of Thalia

And Jason Grace

Immortal god for all his days

...

He is proud.

He is Zeus

And he has every right

**A/Ns: Yay, I finally started this challenge! At first, I had Nico as my character, but encountered enough difficulty that I wanted to switch. When they gave me Zeus instead, it all just sort of... clicked.**

**One down, ninety-nine to go!**

**As always, feel free to share any and all thought you had while reading in a review, and I sincerely hope freeverse is allowed for this. It isn't much of a strength for me, but it was the only way I could imagine addressing this prompt.**

**Up next: Unproffesional.**


	2. Unprofessional

**Word Count (for drabble only): 274 words**

**Second Prompt: Unprofessional**

Once again, Zeus was angry.

Hera didn't know why. Something Poseidon had said, she supposed. Whatever the cause, raged filled the sky, rumbling and roaring in harmony with the godly king.

She watched for slightly longer. It seemed the sea king had offended Zeus's inflated ego. A harsh insult, judging by the light-show above. Shouting grew profane, and the the queen stopped listening.

She folded her bare arms, face a mask of patience. For divine ruler, her husband could be quite immature. He was easily angered, quick to act, and too proud to see himself in the wrong.

And that was how their meeting ended. Zeus yelling at/electrocuting the sea god. Again.

"Why can you not calm yourself?" she snapped once outside. "Don't you ever find it embarrassing?"

The sky god glared. "Would you prefer indifference? I devote myself to my position, to the things I care for. Would you rather I cared for nothing?!"

The goddess spoke no more. It was true: at least he'd cared about living.

There would times when his composure would slip. Many, to tell the truth. Storms worse than Typhon would rock the Earth. Lightning would flash above as Zeus's temper soared. Whenever he felt something, the world needed to know.

Hera grit her teeth. What could she do? Immortals' ways were eternal. Peacocks didn't change their feathers. Forever proud, forever stubborn, forever without filter.

Forever ruler, forever caring, forever with passion.

He was a man without a mask. A rarity among the gods.

Unprofessional he was. Unprofessional she could deal with. It wasn't the worst flaw he possessed.

**A/Ns: Yeah, different format this time, similar theme. I felt it was necessary, though. Zeus gets a lot of hate at times. Yeah, he has flaws, but give the guy some credit! He's been ruling for millennia, and managed to (mostly) keep his family functional. He's a decent patriarch character.**

**I changed the stanza breaks to three dots in the first chapter, by the way. Second kitty pointed that out, it bugged me to no end. **

**Again, any thoughts anyone has while reading this fic, they should feel free to express them in a review. More I get, faster I update. I'm finally back in writing mode!**

**Oh, and huge thank you to riptidefirebends and queen-sheep (kitty) for the review and support, doubly to the latter for creating this challenge and PJFC. I do this for you!**

**Ugh, I have math homework, and this is starting to be a drabble of it's own. Until I decide to update again, I'll see you on the far side!**

**Next up: Pizza.**


	3. Pizza

**Word Count (for drabble only): 391 words.**

**Third Prompt: Pizza**

**Also donew for the No Words Competition, also to be found on PJFC. **

The sea god reached for his first slice, watching as the cheese stuck to the others. But his choice was law among his food, and the cheese would never be able to object.

Similar to him, in all reality. Poseidon stole a moment to send a glare across the table. His gaze was met with an electric blue; his younger brother was the only other. They watched each other for a long moment. Zeus was the one to break away, but only to grab food for himself. Their silent showdown ended.

The suggestion seemed odd at first. How in Olympus would _pizza_ solve the gods' problems? Zeus had not spoken one word since taking his seat, so Poseidon behaved the same. Stagnant waters through and through. An improvement, in his mind.

As the elder god raised his greasy food, he chanced taking the first bite. The other male observed coldly, then cautiously followed his lead. For once in all eternity, Poseidon was granted first say.

Slowly but surely, he took a breath. At first, he meant to speak. But suddenly, the shaky surface began to give way, so the god released his thoughts, going for a second bite.

Soon enough, their first box was gone, only to be replaced by another. This time, Poseidon cut the food. Because he was so intent at the moment, it wasn't until Zeus reached for his next slice that he discovered any change in the atmosphere. It almost seemed... calm.

It was far too son when the gods reached their final box. It wasn't that their cheese-bread was good: the contents had been waterlogged with cooking grease, and smears of once-canned sauce could be found all over the immortal men. But something about such a casual meal had been enough to keep Poseidon at the table. To mortals, this was such a normal thing to do, so much so it felt alien.

The demigod's suggestion...almost seemed to relax the two of them. Without thinking, he made a move for the last piece.

Another hand was there. It collided with the sea god's, shooting ripples of tension through the condensed area. Poseidon paused, eyes narrowed.

But the opposing hand disappeared, the action accompanied by a small nod. No words and none needed.

The brother took the food with his left hand, and shook with his right.

**A/Ns: Hey, fanfic world! Sorry I posted a day later than the competition required. This week was so busy with reviews and everything, I'd almost forgotten.**

**I'm actually pretty okay with this fic. It's just an easy-going, casual vibe that was kinda hard to incorporate in a godly setting. I could not find a way to make in into Zeus's POV, so we got Poseidon instead. Zeus is still a main character, though, so it fits the requirements of the challenge.**

**Oh, to answer the guest review: yes. All these drabbles will be about Zeus. He is the character all these drabbles must be centered around.**

**Thank you for your time and support. I hope some of you have the time to leave a review, and wish me luck with competition scores!**

**Next Prompt: Morning. (If anyone has a request/suggestion for this, feel free to voice it.)**


	4. Morning

**Word Count (for poem only): 160 words**

**Fourth Prompt: Morning**

When the sky was black,

He'd watch his back.

Discomforted by the night

The sky god was

Impatient, because

He longed to feel the light.

...

Zeus waited for the morning sun

For when night came, his reign was done

And the sky belonged to Nyx.

Helpless, he'd see

What woes must be

And what he, as king, must fix.

...

Then as dawn grew near,

Apollo would appear

To mount his chariot in the sky.

Zeus would shout hey,

Give first orders of the day,

Ready for the sun to fly.

...

Once the new day started,

From work, he never parted.

Zeus: king of all days

Beyond reign of Chaos and Titans,

The world goes on and evolves, brightens

Thanks to the gods, whom mortals must praise

...

Then the sun chariot would set

And the king would fret

What in darkness, his enemies would gain.

But he'd have to wait,

For such is fate,

Until morning came again.

* * *

**A/Ns: Hey look, my second shortest document yet! Ah well.**

**I'm not all sure how I feel about this one. I was reading a book of famous poetry and got inspired to write this. I'm not the best poet, so keep that in mind.**

**But yeah. I was bored, and needed something to work on today. Please review with any thoughts/comments you might have, thank you for stopping by to read, and I'll see you on the far side!  
**


	5. Ripple

**Word Count (for drabble only): 300 words on the dot.**

**Fifth Prompt: Ripples ****  
**

It wouldn't be the first time a mortal had angered Zeus. It would, however, be the first time Zeus would willingly let them get away with it.

You see, he's been trying to adopt a new sort of 'three strikes' system. I think it was Athena who convinced him to test it out. Apparently it goes like this:

First strike: a thunderstorm pops up in the sky. Lightning strikes all over above you, but never even touches the ground. I call it his warm up session.

Second strike: we get another thunderstorm, this time with lightning striking the ground. About a foot away from it's electrocution range, it be exact. Consider it a warning shot, to stop pissing Zeus off before he kills you.

Hope you were listening those last few times, because the third strike is where things really get serious: Zeus grabs one of his lightning bolts, and strikes you dead. Three strikes, you're out. I wonder if the guy gets this reference.

Apparently, the new system's really been working out for the king of the gods. He gets to be all rumbly and scary and stuff with his lightning bolts, and mortals get a chance of survival. Everybody's happy!

News of this system's been rippling through the other gods, and even got down here to the demigods after a while. Rippling through us like those little waves on water when you drop something in it.

Funny word, ripples. Just bounces around on your tongue, kinda like a ripple in itself. Makes me laugh, now that I think about it.

Great, now I bet Zeus thinks I'm laughing at him. Keep an eye out for a thunderstorm, will you? I'm gonna think up something worthwhile for my second strike.

* * *

**A/Ns: If someone knows who's talking, will they tell me? I just did this because of a joke my friend made about Zeus's wrath and baseball. It was funnier when they said it.**

**Anyway, I wanted to get back into the habit of writing these drabbles, and I finished my homework early tonight so... hey, why not?**

**This was thrown together really quickly, and centered around a joke (prompt coming into play later), so don't feel too cheated if it isn't my best work, okay? That said, please review. Critiques are always welcome.**

**Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	6. Desk

**Word Count (for drabble only): 463 words**

**Sixth Prompt: Desk**

Zeus stopped in the doorway, staring in horror at the stack of papers on his desk.

It must have been a mile high, the way it was all laid in one neat column. The documents, no doubt, filled with grievance, annoyances ,and complaints filed by gods against each other. Unfortunately, it was his duty as king to settle their various disputes. A task he never enjoyed.

With a resigned sigh, the sky god settled himself into his chair, straight-backed. He slowly made his way through each letter, cringing at their blandness and convolution. With the exception of Apollo, who somehow always found the time to be overly artistic and verbatious. He sighed.

Sometimes, he wondered if declaring himself king hadn't been such a good idea. While all the other gods ran about, prancing through wilderness or annoying the mortals, he was always in here,running Olympus so it would stay afloat. It wasn't easy, with so many conflicting opinions and ideas, all meshing themselves together in a salad of godly interests. If only they could behave like a melting plot, and unify to some degree. It was through these experiences Zeus had discovered the true time for compromise: later.

Honestly, was it really such a surprise he needed a little stress release every so often? He wouldn't have to bother with those other women if Hera wasn't such a pain to behold. All she did was add more stress to his life, pestering him to death about how he should and shouldn't act. Like he didn't get enough of that from everybody else.

_I'm sorry, how long have I been running the world? Yeah, that's right. And you? Didn't think so._

He'd worked hard for his power, so he wasn't about to give it up without a fight. But at the same time, it was a fight not to give it up. As Zeus slowly moved through the immortals' various issues, he felt a yawn stretch across his face. He didn't have to sleep to live, but mortal's didn't need sight to survive, either.

Oh, how he wished he could finish all of this in the morning! Or better, dump his duties on one of the lazier gods, the ones who always criticized him. Let's see if they could do a decent job, much less as good as him!

But unfortuantely, neither thought was an option. He knew there would be an equally high stack of issues piled on his desk the next day, and the next, and the next.

He rubbed his eyes. Better to crunch down while people were being quiet. At least they didn't give him problems to solve when they were asleep...

* * *

**A/Ns: Got bored, finished homework early, so here we are again. I don't know why i never use this opprotunity for other challenges. God knows I'm entered in enough of them. Maybe this one is easier?**

**Anyway, every day of the week is inspiration for this one. I also think this drabble could go for Reyna, maybe even more so for her.**

**Anyway, it's late, and my dad really wants me to log off now, so...**

**Hope you enjoyed, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	7. Handprint

**Word Count (for drabble only): 245 words**

**Seventh Prompt: Handprint**

Zeus watched them go,

sad he couldn't stay

and comfort them.

They were his kids, and

their life would be hard.

He wanted to help them.

...

Their mother wasn't

a responsible woman.

He knew that.

But he also knew that

she would have to

raise his daughter.

Even if he wanted to stop her.

...

His son would go to the wolves.

A son he wouldn't remember,

even though some part of him

was responsible.

Zeus couldn't reach him

even if he knew.

He wanted to remember him.

...

But he was a god.

King of them all.

He couldn't help,

Couldn't prevent,

Couldn't remember,

Couldn't do anything to interfere.

All because they were his.

His forbidden kids.

But that didn't stop him from wanting to.

...

Zeus knew what they'd

think of him in the future.

Yet they would never know

exactly how he felt

towards them.

He wanted to tell them all.

...

All he could do was watch.

Watch their now-tiny hands.

Hands that would come to wield weapons,

fight monsters,

and all the while: grow.

Grow into that of a leader's

Hands he would always be proud of.

...

And even though his kids would die,

Zeus would remember them

Remember their hands

And the leaders they were attached to

He would keep the impressions visible

For they were the hand-prints of his children,

the hand-prints they'd left on the world.

* * *

**A/Ns: I'll admit, when one looks at Zeus, a loving father isn't the first person one might see. But I bet it's in there somewhere, and it fells like awhile since I've written any poetry, so... here I am.**

**I'm so happy: it's the end of November. That means, everybody, that NaNoWriMo is officially OVER for the year. Whoo hoo! (Dances around)**

**Anyway, that means I get to spend more time on fanfiction in December. The one week off I get at the end of the month is definitely going to my cause. Expect a couple updates during this time.**

**Ooh hey, random question: for all those people who've been on this site longer than a year, what did you do to celebrate your one year anniversary? Mine's coming up, and I'm not sure what to go for.**

**All suggestions welcome, thanks for tuning in, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	8. Devotion

**Word Count (for drabble only): 332 words **

** Eig****ht****h Prompt: Devotion**

Devoted: to have an earnest attachment to a cause, person, item, etc.

Zeus shook his head at the electronic screen. He didn't understand what Hera was talking about: he was a devoted husband, according to this definition. He cared about her as his wife, and was most certainly 'earnest' about it.

Sure, they argued sometimes. Perhaps even often. But he still loved her at the end of the day, and she him.

Didn't they?

Zeus's mind turned unbidden to the various lovers he'd had over the years. When he thought about it, each dalliance had happened not because of a fight, or he was feeling alone. It wasn't like those women were special; he could've done anything he did to them with his wife. If he were to be honest with himself (which some might consider a rare thing), he hadn't done it out of anger, or out of spite.

He'd done it because he was bored.

What kind of devoted husband would do that? If they had an 'earnest attachment', why would it have happened so many times?

Zeus thought he was devoted to Hera, but was she devoted to him? He had to think about that one for a moment.

Sure, she'd never once cheated on him. But wasn't she the goddess of marriage? What if it was impossible for her to violate it? Maybemaybe it was for her own honor, not to his own benefit.

And then there were all the times she'd taken revenge on his lovers. Was that devotion, or had she simply felt spited, seen it as a personal insult? If so, it would've been for herself, not Zeus.

The more Zeus thought about it, the more troubled things began to sound. He'd have to think it over some more, and maybe talk to Hera, but what if their relationship... ended somehow?

Love needed devotion. And it was devotion they didn't have.

* * *

**A/Ns: Hey everyone. It felt like awhile since I'd written for Percy Jackson, but I wasn't really in the mood for writing much, so I just squeezed this out really fast. Sorry if it isn't very good: I wasn't feeling up to romance, but the prompt of devotion made it hard not to use. Ah well.**

**Hope everyone's having a nice winter break. Is anyone getting snow? My state rarely gets any.**

**Anyway, thanks for tuning in, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	9. Unique

**Word Count (for drabble only): 388 words**

**Ninth Prompt: Unique**

From his high palace on Mount Olympus, Zeus watched the demigod camps.

Their trouble with the giants was finally over, and Zeus seemed to have gained a son. Because he was Jupiter at the time, the god didn't remember having the boy, nor had he gotten a good look until recently.

Jason, his name was. All in all, he looked more like his mother than he did Zeus. The only striking similarity was his eyes, in their blue of storm and sky. Both his recent children had the most striking eyes. It would help others identify them as leaders.

And leaders they were. Jason in particular showed many leadership abilities. He served his subjects well, fulfilling his reputation as the son of a king. Though Jupiter claimed most the credit, Zeus was proud of the son he never knew about. Even if he cooperated with Poseidon's brat of a child.

Even if he chose not to stay a leader. Or chose to join who were once his enemies. He could thank Hera for that, despite it not being her entire fault.

Zeus sighed. Despite all the pride he had in Jason, he'd made choices Zeus would've never agreed with. Never even thought of, if he were honest. Where had those thoughts come from?

Not his own mother, that's for sure. Zeus may not remember all of his lovers, but she left a special space in his mind. She'd been an irresponsible woman, perhaps worse than he was. He couldn't have learned much from her.

And he didn't behave like the other Romans, if his recent observations and the nagging voice of Jupiter had taught him anything. He was far more relaxed than them, with their strict rules and cohesive units. It was no surprise he gave up his place among their troops.

But even so, Zeus couldn't say he was a true Greek. Though relaxed, his style was much more organized, far more focused, than most his children were. He had a way about him unlike any hero he'd ever fathered. And it confused Zeus to no end.

Perhaps there was more than met the eye to that boy. Zeus couldn't deny what a unique child Jason was proving to be. Perhaps they'd cross paths sometime.

* * *

**A/Ns: Hello everyone, and welcome to the new month. Why not start it off with a little family (not yet) relationship?**

**I always wondered what Zeus must think of Jason. I know we saw them in Blood of Olympus, but that wasn't really enough for me. Plus Blood of Olympus was just a huge letdown by the time it was over. I'm not even sure I want to read another RR book. But I can always write fanfiction, so it's all good.**

**Anyhow, thanks for reading, please review, and like alwaysalways, I will see you on the far side!**


	10. Burn

**Word count (for drabble only): 233 words**

**Tenth prompt: Burn**

The sky was on fire.

The metal dragon flew through the air, exploding in a spectacular stream of fireworks and debris. From his place on Mount Olympus, Zeus watched the demigods with a keen eye.

There were a lot more of them than he remembered. More than Jupiter could account for either, with all his boasting. It wasn't all the Greeks, nor all the Romans. Rather, it appeared to be everyone taken together. That and more.

They were doing it. Together, the gods' children had come together and defeated Gaea, something Zeus hadn't figured out how to do. He probably would have, had it not been for Jupiter butting in on his every thought, confusing his priorities. Luckily, they'd been able to find common ground, and came to the demigods' aid just in time to battle the giants. Their children better be thankful.

Zeus smiled at the cheers, watched as Gaea sunk to the depths of her slumber. Civilization would always rule over nature. Ever since it's conception, it was bound to do so. Gaea fought a losing battle from the start.

But it made him wonder: what would the earth be like if nature ruled? Would things really be in harmony, or would it simply be a loss of all the beautiful progress? Would he still rule?

The thought burned through his mind, an answer never to come.

* * *

**A/Ns: Hello world. How is life?**

**So, there really isn't that much to say about this. I'm on my second snow day of this week, with a third being likely tomorrow, and I became very bored with myself. Whenever I'm bored, I wrote stuff. Whenever I'm emotional, I write stuff. Hopefully, if I keep this pattern up, I'll have finished fanfiction, and maybe even novels, by the time summer rolls around. If homework doesn't get in the way, that is.**

**Anyhow, this was more for the cool paragraph structure than the actual content. Consider it a writing warm up, for writing different things. Maybe I'll update something now.**

**Thanks for reading, please leave a review with solangelo fic suggestions, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	11. Innocence

**Word Count (for drabble only): 245**

**Eleventh Prompt: Innocence**

* * *

It was a king's right to pass judgment. That was all Zeus was doing here. Nothing wrong with that.

He listened as the minor gods and goddesses explained themselves. He didn't interrupt as they listed their many grievances. One unfortunate thing about being immortal was that they never forgot past slights, or had a reason to.

Hera sat next to him, eyes almost as stormy as his. Athena stood by her father's side, impassive. The right of judgment was not hers, but he let her help him anyway.

These immortals were guilty. Guilty of treason, guilty of bringing about the biggest disaster since the humans' big wars. Guilty of aligning with Kronos.

Despite all this... Could he really blame them? He was guilty of many things himself. That didn't stop him from reigning over Olympus, no matter hard others tried. Could he really punish them, when he understood the justification behind their actions to be partially his fault?

He glanced to the two goddesses by his side, seeking their council. Hera demanded Guilty, wanting to throw them off the broken city and punish them for their insolence.

Athena argued for partial innocence, saying penance was better than full punishment. After all, it was full punishment that put the gods in this mess.

Zeus went with his daughter's choice, much to his queen's displeasure. He would appease her later.

His judgment was final. They would take steps to regain innocence.

* * *

**A/Ns: Hello fanfiction! I know it's been forever, but I am finally back.**

**So Camp NaNoWriMo was a huge disaster, and it's only partially my fault. The medium holdingy novel lost it twice, and I decided I had no inspiration for the story, so... Oh well? On the bright side, I got a new original idea out of it.**

**But it did leave me in a bit of a funk. So this is my way of breaking it. I know you all miss Zeusie, so here's a little snippet of him acting high and mighty. He can be understanding when he wants to be. And gods can too learn from their mistakes in this headcanon.**

**Thanks for dropping in, you will hopefully see more of me later, and I'll see you on the far side!**


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